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Today’s Battlegrounds

Today’s Battlegrounds

Hoover Institution 96 Episodes Jun 11, 2026

Battlegrounds is a podcast that provides a needed forum with leaders from key countries to share their assessment of problem sets and opportunities that have implications for U.S. foreign policy and national security strategy.

Episodes

Greece’s Comeback: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Economy, Security, and Governance | Hoover Institution Jun 11, 2026 2782 In this episode of Today's Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Kyriakos Mitsotakis discuss Greece’s economic resurgence, the country’s expanding role in international security, and the future of US-Greek cooperation. For more conversations from world leaders from key countries, subscribe to receive instant notification of the next episode.  ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Kyriakos Mitsotakis serves as Prime Mi
Germany: The Future of Transatlantic Relations | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution Jun 9, 2026 3627 In this episode of Today's Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Norbert Röttgen discuss US-German relations, Germany’s defense, economic, and foreign policy priorities; strains in transatlantic relations; and the future of NATO and the European Union.  For more conversations from world leaders from key countries, subscribe to receive instant notification of the next episode.  ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Dr
Finland: NATO’s First Line of Defense | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution Jun 2, 2026 3133 In this episode of Today's Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Kai Sauer discuss Finland's defense and economic priorities, its role in NATO, Russia's persistent threat to European security, and how US-Finland cooperation enhances both nations’ security and prosperity. For more conversations from world leaders from key countries, subscribe to receive instant notification of the next episode.  ABO
Cuba at a Crossroads: Crisis and the Long Struggle for Liberty | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution May 13, 2026 2843 Join Rosa María Payá, founder of Cuba Decide and a commissioner on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss US-Cuba relations, Cuba’s deepening economic and humanitarian crisis, its internal challenges of governance and repression, and prospects for a more peaceful and secure future for the Cuban people. For more conversations from wor
The Iran Wars: History, Ideology, and Prospects for Peace | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution Apr 24, 2026 2617 Join Abbas Milani and H.R. McMaster as they discuss the Iran War, its effects on the Iranian people, the Iranian regime, and prospects for peace and security in the Middle East and beyond. For more conversations from world leaders from key countries, subscribe to receive instant notification of the next episode.  ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Professor Abbas Milani is the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Dire
Denmark and the Future of NATO: What Comes Next for Western Security? | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution Apr 15, 2026 1970 Join Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former prime minister of Denmark, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss international security, the prospects for the US-Danish relationship, and the health of NATO and the transatlantic alliance as wars continue in Ukraine and the Middle East. For more conversations from world leaders from key countries, subscribe to receive instant notification of t
Haiti: From Aid to Trade with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution Apr 8, 2026 2146 Join Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, prime minister of Haiti, and Hoover senior fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss Haiti’s escalating security crisis, efforts to dismantle gang control, and the role of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force in restoring order. Fils-Aimé outlines how his government is working to reclaim territory, strengthen police capacity, and restore security to enable long-delayed ele
Turning U.S.-Canada Tension Into Opportunity with H.R. McMaster and David MacNaughton | Today's Battlegrounds | Hoover Institution Mar 25, 2026 3523 Join former Canadian Ambassador to the United States, David MacNaughton, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss Canada and US cooperation on Arctic and North American security, prospects for deepening economic cooperation after the 2026 review of the USMCA trade agreement, and opportunities to turn recent tensions into opportunities for both nations. Reflecting on current geopoli
Value of the 'Linchpin' Alliance Between the US and South Korea with Ambassador Chung Eui-yong | Today's Battlegrounds | H.R. McMaster | Hoover Institution Mar 13, 2026 3372 Join Chung Eui-yong, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss the future of the US–ROK alliance in the face of North Korea’s accelerating weapons programs, the implications of a growing Russia–North Korea partnership, and how Washington and Seoul can strengthen deterrence while preserving space for diplomacy on the Korean
Cultivating Agency, Character, and Citizenship: A Visit to Vertex Partnership Academies | Today's Battlegrounds | H.R. McMaster | Hoover Institution Feb 18, 2026 3507 Join Ian Rowe, cofounder of Vertex Partnership Academies and Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Hoover senior fellow H.R. McMaster as they discuss education reform and the importance of cultivating agency, character, and civic understanding in young people. Recorded at Vertex Partnership Academies in the Bronx, the conversation explores how education can help students develop
Israel's Wars and Prospects for Peace in the Middle East | Today's Battlegrounds | H.R. McMaster | Hoover Institution Dec 17, 2025 3560 Join Mr. Zohar Palti, former director of the Policy and Political-Military Bureau at Israel’s Ministry of Defense, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster as they discuss Israel’s security posture after the October 7 attacks, strategic lessons of the war in Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank and beyond, and the implications of the Trump-brokered peace agreement for Israel, the broader Middle East, and gl
Inside Iran’s Islamic Republic: Myths, Failures, and What Comes Next | Today's Battlegrounds | H.R. McMaster | Hoover Institution Dec 4, 2025 3601 Join Dr. Ali Ansari, Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster, as they examine the nature of the Islamic Republic, Western misunderstandings about the regime and why engagement strategies have repeatedly failed, and the widening gap between the regime’s propagandized image of stre

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